On a perfect January night at the Rose Bowl, Florida State’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston led the Seminoles in orchestrating a comeback miracle against the team that rode miracles to get to the BCS National Championship.

With 1:11 remaining, and trailing Auburn by four points, Winston went 7-of-8 and led his Seminoles 80 yards downfield on a drive that culminated with a game-winning 2-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kelvin Benjamin.

The score completed the Seminoles’ miraculous comeback as they trumped the Tigers 34-31 to finish undefeated (14-0) and clinched their first national championship since 1999.

“I was ready. I wanted to be in that situation,” Winston said. “That’s what great quarterbacks do. I’m pretty sure I got more respect from my teammates and the people around me on that last drive than I got all year.”

Winston went 20 of 35 for 237 yards and two touchdowns, Rashad Greene had nine receptions for 147 yards and Kermit Whitfield had a clutch 100-yard return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Seminoles rallied to overcome an 18-point deficit.

In front of a crowd of 94,208, the ACC’s Seminoles snapped the SEC’s seven-year stranglehold on the crystal football in the final year of the BCS system.

As the Seminoles danced around on the field, the Tigers (12-2) collapsed in stunned silence.

After rolling to a 21-3 lead with touchdown receptions from Tre Mason and Melvin Ray and a four-yard touchdown run from quarterback Nick Marshall, Auburn allowed Florida State to sneak back into the game.

For most of the first half, the Tigers had neutralized the dynamic Winston, who had only 62 passing yards by halftime. He rushed his throws, was forced to scramble out of the pocket, and struggled to find his rhythm early on.

“He started holding onto the ball and second-guessing his decisions,” said Auburn defensive end Dee Ford. “Very early, I saw he was a little hesitant.”

But then came the play that triggered the Florida State comeback. Late in the second quarter, with Auburn up 21-3, the Seminoles pulled out all stops.

Buoyed by a successful fake punt that extended a promising Seminoles drive, Winston showed off his athleticism with a 21-yard run that left tacklers grabbing at his ankles.

He got the Seminoles to the 3-yard line and Devonta Freeman finished off the drive with a 3-yard touchdown that pulled Florida State within 21-10 of Auburn going into halftime.

“The score before the half was critical,” said Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher. “It got us the momentum back.”

The Seminoles inched back into the game, first with a 41-yard field goal by Lou Groza Award-winning kicker Roberto Aguayo.

Then the defense came up with a huge play when cornerback P.J. Williams intercepted Auburn’s Marshall.

Florida State cashed in on the freebie with a five-play offensive drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown from Winston to fullback Chad Abram that made the score 21-19 in the Tigers’ favor.